How to calculate sand
- Measure the area in feet.
- Choose the depth your project needs — 1 in for paver bedding, much more for a sandbox.
- Convert to cubic yards (area × depth in inches ÷ 324), then to tons using the sand's weight.
- Add about 10% for compaction and screeding losses.
Sand formula
Tons = Cubic yards × 1.35 (dry sand)
Bags = Pounds ÷ bag weight
Worked example: paver patio bedding
A 12 × 12 ft patio (144 sq ft) with 1 in of bedding sand needs 144 × 1 ÷ 324 = 0.44 cubic yards. Adding 10% gives 0.49 yards, or about 0.66 tons of dry sand — roughly 27 bags of 50 lb.
Worked example: a sandbox
A 6 × 6 ft sandbox filled 10 in deep holds 6 × 6 × 10 ÷ 324 = 1.11 cubic yards, about 1.5 tons of dry play sand.
How much sand do common projects use?
| Project | Typical sand depth |
|---|---|
| Bedding layer under pavers | 1 in, screeded (not compacted before laying) |
| Joint sand for pavers | About 1 bag of polymeric sand per 50–100 sq ft, by joint width — see the bag label |
| Sandbox | 8–12 in |
| Above-ground pool base | 1–2 in |
| Leveling under flagstone | 1–2 in |
| Top-dressing a lawn | ⅛–¼ in |
Types of sand
- Concrete sand — coarse, washed; used under pavers and for mixing concrete.
- Mason sand — finer and smoother; used in mortar and often for sandboxes.
- Play sand — washed and screened, sold in bags for sandboxes.
- Fill sand — unwashed; used for backfill and leveling where appearance doesn’t matter.
- Polymeric sand — joint sand with binders that harden when wet, for paver joints.
How much does sand weigh?
| Condition | Pounds per cubic foot | Tons per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, loose | about 100 | about 1.35 |
| Damp | about 110 | about 1.5 |
| Wet | about 120–125 | about 1.6–1.7 |
Sand bought in bulk is usually damp, which is why one supplier's yard can weigh more than another's. A 50 lb bag of dry sand is about 0.5 cu ft.
Buying tips
- For more than about half a yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bags.
- Ask which sand the supplier recommends for your use; names like "concrete sand" vary by region.
- Under pavers, the sand sits on a compacted crushed-stone base — estimate that separately.
Frequently asked questions
How much sand do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet by depth in inches, divide by 324 for cubic yards, and multiply by about 1.35 for tons of dry sand.
How many 50 lb bags of sand are in a yard?
A cubic yard of dry sand weighs about 2,700 lb, so it takes about 54 bags of 50 lb.
How much does a cubic yard of sand weigh?
About 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) dry, and up to about 3,300 lb (1.65 tons) wet.
How much sand do I need under pavers?
About 1 in of bedding sand over a compacted gravel base. That is roughly 0.31 cubic yards per 100 sq ft.
How much sand for a sandbox?
Fill 8–12 in deep. A 5 × 5 ft box at 10 in needs about 0.77 cubic yards, or around 42 bags of 50 lb play sand.
Sources & standards
This calculator's formulas and default values are based on the following codes, standards and published data. Codes are adopted and amended locally, so check with your building department for permitted work. See how we build and check our calculators.
- ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) installation guidance: 1 in bedding sand layer over compacted aggregate base.
- ASTM C33 (concrete aggregate) and ASTM C144 (masonry mortar sand) gradation specifications.
- Typical bulk densities of dry, damp and wet sand published by aggregate suppliers.